Wringer bearing



Feb. 26, 1952 w. KAUFFMAN, u

WRINGER BEARING Filed May 13, 1946 INVENTOR.

Patented Feuze, 1952 NT orric WRINGER BEARING Walter L. Kaufiman, II, Erie, Pa., assignor to Lovell Manufacturing Company, Erie, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application May 13, 1946, Serial No. 669,380

Claims.

In collector type wringers where water is 001- lected in a trough beneath the lower roll and its bearings, there is a tendency for the lower roll bearings to deteriorate due to moisture retained in lint or other solids in the wash water, which collects around the lower end of the bearing.

This invention is intended to increase the life of lower roll bearings by maintaining the central section of the lower end surface of the bearing dry and elevating the outer part of the lower end hearing has a spherical lower end surface in sealing engagement with an annular seat on the bottom wall of the collection trough and an opening in the bottom wall within the seat provides ventilation keeping the central section of the lower end surface of the bearing dry.

. .In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a wringer partly broken away; Fig. 2 is an enlarged section of the'lower roll bearing, Figs. 3 and4 are similar views'of modifications; and Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing, I and 2 indicate upper and lower rolls, 3 and 4 indicate side stiles slidably carrying upper and lower roll bearings 5 and 6, 1 indicates the bottom frame which serves as a collector trough beneath the lower roll, 8 indicates the top frame carrying a pressure spring 9 and a pressure screw H), H indicates a pressure release and reset device connecting the top frame to the side stile 4, l2 indicates a pressure release bar, and I3 indicates a water board guiding clothes to the bite of the rolls. These parts are or may be of co'nventional'construction.

The bottom wall of the collector trough 1 drains from a high point beneath the lower roll bearings toward a central drain passage Hi. This means that any water splashed over the lower roll bearing is collected in the trough and is directed to the tub through the opening l4. While this does prevent splashing of water on the floor, the lint or other solids, in the water has tended to collect about the lower bearing, keeping it wet and causing rapid deterioration. This is prevented by providing a convex spherical surface IE on the lower end surface of the bearing 6, the central portion of which is seated on an upwardly projecting annular head It. The roll pressure forces the lower end surface of the bearing into water-tight sealing engagement with the bead. The central section within the bead is kept dry by an opening I! which permits the circulation of air. The outer part of the spherical surface is raised above the bottom wall of the trough so it tends to drain dry.

In the modification shown in Fig. 3, the lower roll bearing 6a has a concave spherical lower end surface I5a which seats on an annular bead liia' at the top of a cylindrical projection l8 extending up from the bottom wall of the trough l. The

' projection I8 is high enough so the outer portion of the lower end surface of the bearing is'high enough above the bottom wall of the troughto be kept dry at all times. The opening Ila within the bead lfia provides air circulation keeping the surface of the hearing. In a preferred form the central portion of the lower end surface of the bearing dry. As in the previously described construction, the roll pressure provides water-tight sealing engagement between the bearing and the bead [6a. a

In the modification shown in Fig. 4, the lower bearing 6b has a central projection I9 encased in a metal cup 20. The bottom 2! of the cup' is spherical and rocks on the bottom wall 'l" of the trough to provide bearing alignment. Thepro jection is sealed from contact with water by the cup,'the upper edges of which project above maximum water level. The length of the projjection is such that the outer portion of the lower end surface of the bearing is supported-high enough above the bottom wall of the trough to drain dry.

In each of the constructions the bearing is rockably supported to permitbearing alignment, the center section of the lower end surface of the bearing is sealed from contact with thewater,

and the outer section of the lower end surface of the bearing-is elevated above the water so it will drain dry. From one aspect, the inclined 'sur.- faces directed away from the bearing toward the center of the wringer and the support sealing the central portion of the hearing from the water and elevating the outer part of the bearing above the water can be considered as components of a draining means which effectively keeps the lower end surface of the bearing dry and prevents rapid deterioration.

What I claim as new is:

1. In a clothes wringer having a lower roll with a, shaft, a wood bearing for one end of the shaft, and a collector trough beneath the roll and having a bottom wall draining away from the hearing, the wall having thereon a seat for the bearing, and said seat having an opening at its center and having surfaces around and above the opening in sealing engagement with the bottom of the bearing.

2. In a clothes wringer having a lower roll with a shaft, a Wood bearing for one end of the shaft, and a collector trough beneath the roll and 'having a bottom wall draining away from the bearing, said bearing having a spherical surface on its lower end, the wall having thereon an annular seat in sealing engagement with the spherical surface, and said wall having an opening within the seat.

3. In a clothes wringer having a lower roll with a shaft, a wood bearing for one end of the shaft. and a collector trough beneath the roll and having a bottom wall draining away from the bearing, said bearing having a convex spherical surface on its bottom, the wall having thereon a raised annular bead in sealing engagement with the spherical surface, and said bottom wall having an opening within the bead.

4. In a clothes wringer having a lower roll with a shaft, a wood bearing for one end of the shaft, and draining means beneath the roll having portions defining inclined surfaces directed toward the central portion of the wringer and other portions sealing the central portion of the lower end surface of the bearing from contact with water and elevating the outer portion of the lower end surface of the bearing above the inclined surfaces so it will drain dry, the central portion of the lower end surface of the bearing being curved and said sealing means completely surrounding said central portion of the lower end surface.

5. In a, clothes wringer having a lower roll with a shaft, a wood bearing for one end of the shaft, a collector trough beneath the roll and having a bottom wall draining away from the bearing, the lower end of the bearing having thereon a central projection, and a cup telescoped over the projection and engaging the bottom wall and supporting the outer portion of the bearing above the bottom wall so it will drain dry.

6. In a clothes wringer having a lower roll with a shaft, a wood bearing for one end of the shaft, a collector trough beneath the roll and having a bottom wall draining away from the bearing, the central portion of the lower end of the bearing extending downward below the outer portion thereof, and a support on the bottom wall elevating the outer portion of the lower end of the bearing above the bottom wall so it will drain dry, said support including a cylindrical metal membersealed to the central portion of the bearing above the lowermost part thereof.

7. In a clothes wringer having a lower roll-with a shaft, a wood bearing for one end of the shaft, a'collector trough beneath the roll and having a bottom wall draining away from the bearing, the lower end surface of the bearing having thereon a cylindrical projection extending downward below the outer portion of the lower end surface of the bearing, a support on the bottom wall elevating the outer portion of the lower end surface of the bearing above the bottom wall so it will drain dry, said support including a metal cup telescoped over the projection and having its bottom resting on the bottom wall and having its sides extending above the bottom wall and sealed to said projection.

8. In a clothes wringer having a lower roll with a shaft, a. wood bearing for one end of the shaft, and a collector trough beneath the roll and having a bottom wall draining away from the bearing, the lower end of the bearing having a spherical surface thereon, and the wall having thereon an annular seat projecting above the bottom wall in scaling engagement with the spherical surface and elevating the lower end surface of the bearing above the bottom wall so it will drain dry.

9.v In a clothes wringer having a lower roll with a shaft, a wood bearing for one end of the shaft, and a collector trough beneath the roll and having a bottom wall draining away from the bearing, the lower end of the bearing having a concave spherical surface thereon, and the wall having thereon a substantially cylindrical projection having an annular seat above the bottom wall in sealing engagement with the spherical surface and elevating the lower end surface of the bearing above the bottom wall so it will drain dry.

10. In a clothes wringer having a lower roll with a shaft, a wood bearing for one end of the shaft, a collector trough beneath the roll and having a bottom wall draining away from the bearing, and a cylindrical metal wall open at its upper end and having its upper end above the bottom wall and in sealing engagement with the lower end surface of the bearing, said cylindrical wall having means sealing its lower end against leakage from the bottom wall into the interior thereof.

WALTER L. KAUFFMAN, II.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 554,939 Leedle Feb. 18, 1896 1,512,692 Hubbard Oct. 21, 1924 1,674,190 Burt et al June 19, 1928 2,332,232 Kauffman Oct. 19, 1943 

